Changeable sign



Oct. 30, 1951 J. DOW

CI-IANGEABLE SIGN Filed June 15, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHANGEABLE SIGN John Dow, Lakewood, Ohio Application June 15, 1948, Serial N 0. 33,099 7 Claims. (o1. 40-125) This invention relates to the art of changeable out-door-signs and is an improvement uponmy U. S. Letters Patent No; 2,355,518; August 8, 1944.

As in my prior patent above referred to, so here also my invention-contemplates the use of ashrinkable fabric sheet upon which the sign is provided and which is mounted in such manner that'it "may assume a taut condition as the result'of the shrinking of the same when exposed to the'natural elements.

In my" present invention, I provide an improved means for mounting'the shrinkable fabricdisplay'banner so as to ensure uniformly smooth condition of the same as it is drawntaut by the force of the shrinking due to the natural elements to which exposed; and-this constitutes the primary object of my present invention.

Another object consists in providing such a former construction in which the sign banner itself may be readily removed and replaced by another banner ofsimilarly character sothat the'sign may be easily changed at frequent intervals.

Another object consists in attaching aremovable display banner or sheet to a fixed backing insuch' manner that, upon removal of the banner, a permanent sign upon the fixed backing I may be employed at once and without any interference by the application or-removal of the display banner.

Otherobjects, including that of providing the simple and efficient details of construction that are: embodied in my present form of invention,"

Will appear from the followingdescription and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l'is'a front elevation of my present improved sign construction;

Fig. 2 Ba top plan view thereof;

Fig;- 3 isa sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view showing the molding- H locking means; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged corner portion of the molding in elevation.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

v Referring now to the accompanyinggdrawing, there may be provided any suitable support or is provided with a hem 5 along the full extent their entire extent.

1 clips 1;

frame lfcr the rigid backing 2 to which the display sheet or banner 3 may be applied. The backing 2, which may consist partly of wood, is provided with a fixed sheet metal facing 4; and this facing 4 may have provided thereupon, as for instance by painting, a permanent sign. With this arrangement, the display carried by the permanent metal surface 4 may be exhibited during the intervals between the removal of one fabric banner 3 therefrom and the application of anotherfabric banner thereto.

The fabric for the sign 3 is so chosen as'to be of adecidedly shrinkable nature so as to be uniformly shrinkable in a substantial manner throughout and so as to thereby automatically assume a taut condition as the result of the force of shrinking due to the exposure to the natural elements; and, in order to ensure that the fabric sign will maintain uniformly smooth condition throughout when it is drawn taut by suchforce, I have provided a particular "means for mounting this sheet of fabric upon the backing therefor.

Each edge portion of the fabric banner sign 3 thereof and each of these hems is open at its two ends so as to permit access thereto forthe insertion of a rigid metal rod 6 in each hem as well as for the removal ofthe same therefrom if ever desired. In each instance, the rod 6 extends the full length of the hem; so that, as a result, all fouredge portions of the fabric banner 3'are rendered effectively rigid throughout Ihe rigid rectangular backing 2 projects forwardly from the support I soas to provide four straight shoulders 2a about which the four edge portions of the fabric banner 3 may extend for anchoring engagement of the four rigid hem portions of the fabric banner 3 by the clips I. These clips I are rotatably mounted upon the frame I at suitable intervals therealong and in such manner that they will hold the rigid hemmed portions of the fabric sheet 3 effectively and dependabl in such position. As indicated in Fig. 3, these clips extend at an angle past the edges of the backing 2 and they are adapted to be turned into or out of efiective engagement. The fabric sheet 3 is of such dimensions that it may be conveniently placed'and secured in such position upon its backing 25in the manner indicated. With this arrangement, the hems with their rigid rods are anchored so as not to be pulled between the shoulders Zaandthe After the fabric display sheet or banner .3 has been applied to the backing 2 and the clips I have been rotated into engagement therewith, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the strips -8 of molding may be placed along the four edges of the frame I so as to conceal the clips 1 and thus provide a more finished appearance. The molding strips 8 are all mitered at their ends, each of the two ends overlapping the other two adjacent strips, and the rotatable locking members 9 in the two ends of the frame I have their ends adapted to extend through suitable holes H] in the two end molding strips and to be turned into locking engagement therewith, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to thereby secure all of the molding strips 8 in assembly. In applying the molding, the inner under-turned edge portion of each strip 8 will be placed beneath the angularly extending clips 1 and then the outer flanged part of the molding strip will be placed against the frame and locked in such position by the member 9, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the present drawing. Any other suitable form of locking means may be employed for this purpose.

, This form of sign construction is adapted especially for outdoor use, as for instance in connection with automobile service stations where it may be desired to change the signs quite often and where, at the same time, it is desired that the signs present a neat appearance. With my present arrangement, the shrinking of the fabric sheet or banner 3, when exposed to the natural elements, will cause the same to be drawn taut; and, by having all edge portions of the sheet 3 in straight rigid condition and anchored in the manner above described, this sheet will always be smooth throughout the entire extent thereof. That is, by having the edge portions of the sheet 3 anchored along rigid straight lines, there will be no puckering or unevenness at any point but the effect of the Shrinking or drawing action will be uniform throughout.

Hence, not only is the natural force of the shrinking action utilized in drawing the display sheet taut over the surface of the backing after it has been installed, but I have provided means to preclude any puckering or unevenness at any point, and also the banner 3 will be held in position in a most effective and dependable manner.

With my present arrangement, the display sheet or banner 3 is attached in such a manner that, upon its removal, the permanent sign upon the backing 2 may be exhibited at once and without requiring any attention since it has not been harmed or interfered with in any way by the attaching means for the banner 3. Thus a permanent sign may be interchanged with any number of other temporary signs 3 that may be removably placed thereover, utilizing the same space but without one display interfering with the other, thereby obtaining comparatively large advertising capacity or possibilities for a given space and at a comparatively small cost for construction and maintenance.

What I claim is:

1. In a changeable sign structure, the combination of a rigid backing, said backing having rectangularly arranged shoulders about the marginal portion thereof, a rectangular display sheet of flexible material extending over said backing and having a hem arranged beyond and extending fully along each edge thereof and along the outside of one of said shoulders, a rigid member enclosed within the full length of each hem so as to render the edge portions rigid and each being located adjacent the outside of one of said shoulders, and means of releasable engagement with said shoulders of the said backing for releasably anchoring only said rigid edge portions against the outside of said shoulders and holding said sheet in position upon said backing.

2. The same structure as recited in claim 1 hereof and with the addition of a strip of molding covering each of said edge portions, opposite molding strips overlapping the molding strips adjacent thereto, and means for removably securing said opposite molding strips to said backing.

3. In a changeable sign structure, the combination of a rigid backing, said backing having rectangularly arranged shoulders about the marginal portion thereof, a rectangular display sheet of flexible fabric having a decidedly and substantially uniformly shrinkable nature in substantially all directions and throughout the entire extent thereof, said sheet having a hem arranged beyond and extending fully along each edge thereof and along the outside of one of said shoulders, a rigid member enclosed within each of said hems and extending the full length thereof so as to render the same rigid and each being located adjacent the outside of one of said shoulders, and means of releasable engagement with said shoulders for releasably anchoring said rigid edge portions against the outside of said shoulders andholding each of said portions in uniformly smooth and taut condition upon shrinking of said sheet of fabric when exposed to the natural elements.

4. In a changeable sign structure, the combination of a rigid backing having rectangularly arranged shoulders about the marginal portion thereof, a unitary rectangular display sheet of fabric extending over said backing and having a decidedly and substantially uniformly shrinkable nature in substantially all directions and throughout the entire extent thereof, each edge portion of said sheet having a hem arranged beyond and throughout the entire extent thereof and along the outside of one of said shoulders, rigid means enclosed within each of said hems and extending the full length thereof so as to render the edge portions rigid, and mechanical means of releasable engagement with said shoulders for releasably anchoring all of said rigid edge portions but only said rigid edge portions of said sheet against the outside of said shoulders and for holding each of said rigid edge portions in substantially uniform condition throughout so as to hold said sheet in position upon said backing, the main body of said sheet being free to respond to the shrinking effect of the natural elements so as to be rendered uniformly taut thereby throughout the entire extent thereof.

5. In a sign construction, the combination of a fixed backing adapted to have provided thereupon a permanent display, means for removably attaching a temporary display sheet over such permanent display surface, said attaching means being located outside of the area occupied by said permanent display, and removable molding about the marginal portions of said backing for concealing said attaching means, whereby the temporary display may be changed from time to time without interfering with the condition of a permanent display upon said fixed backing.

6. In a changeable sign structure, the combination of a rigid backing, said backing having rectangularly arranged shoulders about the marginal portion thereof, a rectangular display sheet of flexible material extending over said backing and having its edge portions arranged beyond and extending along the outside of said shoulders, and means of releasable engagement with said shoulders for releasably anchoring only the edge portions of said sheet against the outside of said shoulders in a substantially uniform manner so as to hold said sheet upon said backing.

7. In a changeable sign structure, the combination of a rigid backing, said backing having rectangularly arranged shoulders about the marw ginal ortion thereof, a rectangular display sheet of flexible fabric extending over said backing and having its edge portions arranged beyond and extending along the outside of said shoulders, said sheet having a decidedly and substantially uniform shrinkable nature in substantially all directions and throughout the entire extent thereof, and means of releasable engagement with said shoulders for releasably anchoring only the edge portions of said sheet against the outside 20 of said shoulders in a substantially uniform manner so as to hold said sheet upon said backing.

JOHN DOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

